EDITORIAL

Language games rule how we perceive time, space, identity, and the universe in general. These systems and disciplines shape our view of the world. However, the language game of art is often underappreciated as a maker of change, maybe because society associates it with abstraction, fiction, or entertainment. The strong artist is aware of this and uses it to insinuate ideas about the universe that otherwise would go unnoticed.    

And about art and music, C. S. Lewis, in The Weight of Glory, says: “they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited”. Jeanette Winterson, in her essay collection Art Objects: Essays on Ecstasy and Effrontery, writes that "[a]rt does not imitate life. Art anticipates life". Neither of these quotes can replace the word ART, but reducing them to such a word would mean the death of the concept behind it.

Keeping in mind these ideas, the September issue of The Pasticheur, with the autumn and spring solstices starting in the northern and southern hemispheres, begins the seasons by spotlighting two artists from faraway times and places: a photographer whose work I’ve admired for long, Shirley Baker (1932-2014), and a composer I admire and whom I’ve known for the past 22 years, Robert ‘Bob’ Zieff (1927-). Though separated by distance, cultures, and arts, their work continues to resonate and inspire, bridging the gap between past and present.

Apart from their talent and how their work affects me personally, I find their humbleness admirable. This is something I can only say about a few.

Shirley’s documentary photography has never been imposing, never pretentious, never self-centered, and ever-present. Shirley never spoke about or promoted herself or her work, but she became well-known because she was a pioneer in the field, and thanks to the work of her daughter, Nan Levy, she’s being appreciated again. Shirley’s work was vital because she saw what most didn’t see or didn’t care to see: the way people in some areas of the city lived despite poverty, the trends of the youth as setters of culture, and the wisdom of the old and the way they integrate into a society where people of a certain age tend to be forgotten. Unlike what happens with other types of artists whose names are always linked to their work, Shirley’s name is not, though most of us have seen her photographs before in different contexts.

Like Shirley, Bob’s work is hardly ever associated with his name. He has composed for influential musicians like Chet Baker and taught many important performers like Richard Twardzik. Yet, like many other jazz composers, he was never properly recognized. He didn’t try to be, either. But compositions such as “Sad Walk” and others, though we’ve heard them performed and have become favorites, almost no one thinks of Bob when they are listened to. These tunes evoke different emotions, thoughts, and reactions. They are timeless, as Shirley's photographs are. They fit in this publication well because they represent artistic artifacts that stand as metaphors for certain realities. Like the work of strong artists, they acquire a new meaning every time.

In 2004, I founded Sirena, a journal of poetry, art, and criticism. In May of that year, a colleague and writer in residence, Michael Augustin, and I decided to feature Bob in the 2nd issue of the journal. We recorded a CD with three versions of Bob’s “Sad Walk”, photocopied the score, and sent both to several poets, asking them to listen to the tunes and ‘compose’ a poem in response to what they heard, and we published the results as an homage to Bob and his work. The first two issues of Sirena only exist in print; the ones that followed until 2012 are available on the web through JHUP’s Project Muse. Today, twenty years later, we bring back, in electronic format, part of this homage featuring Bob’s music and poetry by Michael Augustin (Germany), Sujata Bhatt (India/USA/Germany), Robert Creeley (Massachusetts), Hasso Krull (Estonia), Linda McCarriston (Massachusetts), Adrian Mitchell (England), and Eleanor Wilner (Cleveland).

Photography, filmography, painting, sculpture, and literature all share the act of composition, a vision or idea, which is essential when explaining aspects of reality that escape denotative definitions. As metaphors, they encapsulate all possible definitions and interpretations; none of these, however, can fully explain the work of art. 

Shirley’s photographic work and Bob’s music are perhaps scents of flowers we’ve never found and echoes of tunes we have not yet heard, as C. S. Lewis proposed. And, as with all artists, once published, their work is no longer theirs but the public’s. The words of the poets who wrote as a response to Bob’s tunes are perhaps news from a country each of us visits for the first time, as their written words become ours. In this manner, as Jeanette Winterson suggested, ART shapes our lives by the properties of anticipation and often predicts our lives and realities.

Enjoy this issue, share it widely, and find ways to participate in this exchange of ideas we try to foster in this publication.

Jorge R. G. Sagastume, Editor